Lower Level of Interleukin-6 and Hepcidin Found in Lower Density of Physical Exercise among Athlete During Pandemic of Covid-19

Deni Purwani (Sport and Health Science Postgraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya)
Sulistiawati Sulistiawati (Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya)
Bambang Purwanto (Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya)

Folia Medica Indonesiana
Vol. 57 No. 2 (2021): June

The pandemic of Covid-19 affected entire daily human life worldwide, including sports activities among athletes. An athlete was pushed to suit their routine activities with a new health protocol for Covid-19 prevention. Some of them were programmed to train at home with a moderate density of exercise, but others were still in a high density of exercise. This study compared the serum level of hemoglobin (Hb), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and hepcidin among athletes with a high versus moderate exercise density training program during the pandemic. Thirty-four indoor soccer athletes of a soccer football school in Malang voluntarily registered as a subject. Half of them received moderate exercise density exercise programs, and others received high-density exercise programs during June-July 2020. Interleukin-6 and hepcidin level mean was found significantly lower in the moderate group compared to the high-density group. Hemoglobin level mean was found not different between those groups. The lower density of exercise influenced on IL-6 and hepcidin serum level of athlete, but not on hemoglobin level.